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MISSION STATEMENT
The core purpose of Bexley Governors Forum is:-
'to provide an opportunity for governors to contribute towards
improvement of education of all children and young people in all schools in Bexley'
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TERMS OR REFERENCE
Bexley Governors Forum has been established to:-
- Promote communication amongst all governors and between governors and the
authority;
- Provide a means of developing and sharing good practice in school governance;
- Provide a focus for opinions amongst members on matters of mutual interest;
- Provide representatives to the LEA as requested;
- Make representation to the LEA, Central Government and other relevant authorities
or bodies and assist the LEA to develop policy;
- Liaise with other appropriate organisations concerned with the affairs of
governors both locally and nationally.
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MEMBERSHIP
3.1 - Each of the governing bodies of Bexley schools, shall be
entitled to appoint ONE governor to be a member of the Governors' forum.
3.2 - A Governor may be appointed to the Governors' Forum by more than one
governing body.
3.3 - Each of the governing bodies of Bexley schools shall also be entitled
to nominate ONE designated substitute governor for the appointed governor under
3.1 above, to cover unavoidable absence of the appointed governor at meetings.
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TERMS OF OFFICE
4.1 - All members of the Governors' Forum shall be appointed
for a period of one year commencing in January each year. The appointments shall
be decided at the main meeting of each governing body in the preceding autumn
term.
4.2 - An appointment of a governor to the Governors' Forum in any one year
shall be without prejudice to his/her reappointment by the appointing governing
body for a further term of office.
4.3 - Where a member of the Governors' Forum ceases to be a member of the
appointing governing body, s/he shall also cease to be a member of the Governors'
Forum. The designated substitute governors for the relevant nominating school(s)
shall then be entitled to serve on the Governors' Forum for the remainder of the
term of office.
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CHAIRMAN AND VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE GOVERNORS' FORUM
5.1 - The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee
shall be elected at the inaugural meeting and shall be elected annually, thereafter,
at the Annual General Meeting of the Forum. Nominations shall be received from
the floor, with voting (if applicable) being undertaken by a show of hands.
5.2 - In the event of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman being absent from a meeting,
one of the Executive Committee members shall be elected to chair the meeting.
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DELEGATION OF FUNCTIONS TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
6.1 - An executive committee of up to eighteen members (of which
at least one should be drawn from primary, secondary and special schools) shall
be elected at the Annual Meeting of the Governors' Forum.
6.2 - The terms of reference of the Executive Committee shall be:-
- To agree all necessary administrative operations and ensure the smooth operation
of the Executive Committee;
- To provide initial views or responses on issues relating to school governance
on an informal basis to the Director of Education, national school governance
organisations and any other appropriate bodies as requested;
- To make decisions or formal consultation responses on behalf of the Governors'
Forum in emergency/exceptional circumstances.
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MEETINGS
7.1 - The Executive Committee shall meet as and when required
but a minimum of four times each year, for example, January (Governors' Forum
AGM), end of March, early June and early October. The specific dates, together
with venues for each of these regular meetings, shall be decided for the year
at the Governors' Forum AGM.
7.2 - Any member of the Executive Committee may notify the Clerk to the Executive
Committee of an item s/he wishes to be placed on the agenda for the next meeting.
The notification must be given at least ten days before the Chairman and Vice-Chairman
agrees the agenda for each meeting.
7.3 - All members of the Executive Committee shall be sent a copy of the agenda
for a meeting at least seven days before the date of the meeting.
7.4 - The convening of a meeting and the proceedings conducted thereat shall
not be invalidated by reason of an individual not having received notice of the
meeting or a copy of the agenda.
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PROCEEDINGS AND MINUTES
8.1 - The quorum for making decisions shall be three members
of the Executive Committee.
8.2 - Any recommendation coming or arising before the Executive Committee shall
be decided by a majority of the members present.
8.3 - Minutes of proceedings of meetings of the Executive Committee shall be
drawn up and entered in a book kept for the purpose and shall be signed at the
next meeting by the Chairman.
8.4 - Copies of minutes shall be distributed to:-
- All Governing Bodies;
- the Chairman of Education and Leisure Services Committee;
- the Director of Education, and Governor Support Team.
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CLERK
The clerk to the Governors' Forum and Executive Committee shall
be a serving non-teaching employee of the LEA. The clerk shall be given administrative
support by the Governor Support Team.
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ADVICE
The Governors' Forum or Executive Committee may seek advice from
the LEA and any professional body as the need arises.
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ACCESS TO MEETINGS
The decision to invite any person to a meeting, or to accept
a request to attend, shall be made by the Executive Committee.
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REPRESENTATIVES TO LEA WORKING GROUPS
Representatives to LEA Working Groups shall be appointed through
a process of volunteering or nomination at Executive Committee meetings as the
need arises.
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FUNDING
The LEA will support the establishment and operation of the Governors'
Forum and its Executive Committee in its first 2 years of operation (i.e. until
December 2002) by direct funding and funding 'in kind'. All expenditure shall
require the prior approval of the LEA. A detailed assessment of operational costs
and methods for independently funding the Governors' Forum and Executive Committee
from January 2002 will be undertaken by the Governors' Forum and Executive Committee
during 2001. The Governors' Forum and Executive Committee shall be entitled to
introduce direct funding procedures during the Autumn term 2001 so that schools
are aware of their commitment from 2002.
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ANNUAL REVIEW
The Executive Committee shall review the terms of reference,
membership and operation of the forum, as detailed in this document, annually
for approval at the AGM of the Governors' Forum.
Constitution